‘We won’t give any notice’ — labour threatens indefinite strike if petrol price increases

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says it would mobilise its members to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike if the current price of petrol increases.

Joe Ajaero, president of the NLC, spoke on Monday at the African Trade Union alliance meeting in Abuja.

On Sunday, oil marketers hinted that the pump price of petrol would rise to over N700 per litre if the naira continues to depreciate against the dollar, especially at the parallel market.

Currently, petrol is being sold at N617 per litre in many parts of the country and N577 in Lagos.

On several occasions, organised labour had criticised the hike in the price of petrol, saying the federal government must provide palliatives for workers over the removal of subsidy.

At the event, Ajaero said the Nigerian workers will not give any notice of strike if petrol price increases in the coming days.

“As we are here they are contemplating increasing the pump price of petroleum products and the federal ministry of labour and employment, for some time now, will only go to the federal ministry of justice to come up with injunctions to hold the hands of labour not to respond,” he said.

“Let me say this, Nigerian workers will not give any notice if we wake up from our sleep to hear that they have tempered with prices of petroleum products.

“They have started floating ideas of a likely increase in the pump price of petroleum products.”

BACKGROUND

On July 26, NLC issued a seven-day ultimatum to the federal government to reverse all “anti-poor” and “insensitive” policies.

The policies, the union said, included the recent hike in the price of petrol, and the sudden increase in public school fees, among others.

However, the federal government said the unions were restrained by an order of the national industrial court from embarking on any industrial action regarding the removal of petrol subsidy.

The government also said the order prohibited the NLC and affiliates from holding protests across the country.

Despite the government’s stance, organised labour led its members to nationwide protests on August 2.

Consequently, the federal government initiated contempt proceedings against the unions for allegedly defying the order restraining them from embarking on industrial action.

The protest was later suspended on August 3 after leaders of the unions met with President Bola Tinubu at the presidential villa, in Abuja.